Personally, I avoid the spotlight. Even writing this editorial note generates discomfort for me. Odd, I’m sure it sounds, for someone who has stood up at festivals or conferences to talk with thousands over the years about my films and taught classes for the last 20+ years. [Insert elementary school story about being spotlighted during a talent show for playing xylophone] [delete story about xylophone – seriously? Xylophone?]

Growing up, I happen to recall sharing an unpopular opinion would lead to my (adoptive) dad’s brother saying, “You know, in my house, children are seen and not heard.” I didn’t know that I was adopted, so in retrospect my ironic reply to him was often, “Good thing I’m not in your house, then.” For how many adoptees (especially Late Discovery Adoptees like me) are we that curious possession, devoid of actual autonomy or being, more dolls than humans?

Most of the time, I avoided the spotlight from fear. Fear of doing it wrong, fear of messing up, fear of being known, fear of being seen. Fear. Where did that spring from? I don’t know. But this concern molded my future. I’d much rather be the person behind the camera, making the edits, or mentioned in “thanks” than to have my name on the spine or marquee.

During this Adoptee Voices Writing Group cohort, we had a visual prompt (photograph) framing a stage with spotlights, asking writers if they wanted to write their reaction/response to this image. Several wrote that night and then again through the rest of our weeks together. Some wrote from actual experiences, others fictionalizing experiences, and some reflecting on these ideas in different ways. I wish you could have read them all.

Adoptee Voices’ founder, Sara Easterly, has highlighted the need for adoptee-specific writing groups to help adoptees understand that they have a voice and a space to talk, not only in adoption spaces, but in their lives. And here we are “spotlighting” these writers.

So we have this, our second e-Zine, dedicated to and springing from adoptee voices. If our writers had any fear, they stepped toward it rather than away, taking away the power and making it work for them. I’d like to tell you (and them) how proud I am of their work during our eight-week group – not only the ones who submitted pieces for publication, but all of them who dig in and dive down into their creative pool, coming to the surface with pearls.